Gliders, also referred to as swings, are lawn or porch furniture providing single or multiple person seating that is generally suspended so that it may rock or swing.
It is desirable to provide a glider with one or more side tables for supporting food, drinks, or other items. As will be appreciated, it is necessary that such side tables be stationary and not move with the seating. Additionally, the side tables must not interfere with the swing action of the glider seat. The difficulty in adhering to these criteria is compounded by the added requirement that the resulting assembly of glider and side tables should be relatively lightweight and use a minimum of materials. This is of particular importance when the glider assembly is transported between a garage or basement, where the glider may be stored, and a patio, lawn, or porch, where the glider is typically used. Thus, there is a need for a glider that utilizes a minimum amount of materials yet provides one or more side tables that are stationary and do not interfere with the action of the glider.
A significant drawback to providing side tables for a glider is the increase in manufacturing and assembly complexity. Such increases result in greater costs and assembly time for a glider and table combination. Accordingly, there is a need for an optimized glider design that utilizes a minimum number of components and which is easy to assemble.